Unlike Americans, who prefer our persecuted minorities to have different skin colors or sexual preferences or genitalia, our Mexican neighbors have no problem lashing out at people just for being annoying. Case in point: the wave of violence directed at emo kids sweeping the country.

The emo-bashing movement, which originated on message boards of like-minded emo haters, involves disparate groups (punks, goth kids, metal heads, soccer hooligans) united by their hatred of bangs, tight pants, self-mutilation, and Morrissey. They have converged on the emos in town squares, at schools, and at concerts, thirsty for their sad, straight-edge blood. But what exactly is fueling their hatred?